Moenchia erecta subsp. erecta

Upright chickweed, Upright Chickweed

Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Upright chickweed is a naturalized annual found in northern Sierra Nevada foothills and northern central Coast Ranges in Marin County, inhabiting disturbed areas at elevations of 200 to 600 meters. Flowering in spring, this plant produces delicate white flowers with lanceolate petals emerging from slender, glaucous stems. Growing 2.5 to 15 centimeters tall with an upright, rigid structure, the plant has a distinctive glabrous appearance. Its leaves range from oblanceolate basal leaves with petioles to narrow, linear cauline leaves measuring 3 to 12 millimeters long, ascending along the stem. The plant's smooth, bluish-green surface and precise leaf arrangement make it a distinctive member of its botanical group.

Habitat: Disturbed areas

Bloom period: Spring

Elevation: 200-600 m

Bioregions: n&ampc SNF, n CCo (Marin Co.)

California counties: Butte, Mariposa

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.